A woman named Laura Barajas, aged 40, ended up in intensive care and had to fight for her life after a unfortunate visit to her nearby market. She bought fish there that was infected with a dangerous bacteria, which led to her losing all four of her limbs. Local news sources have reported this tragic incident.
Barajas got very sick a few days after eating tilapia she cooked at her home in San Jose, California. Her friend, Anna Messina, told Kron 4 about it.
Messina explained that in July, Barajas fell so ill that she had to go to the hospital. Doctors put her in a deep sleep to help her body recover. Her fingers, feet, and lip turned black, and she had a severe infection called sepsis. Her kidneys were also failing, and she needed a machine to help her breathe.
Messina said the reason for her friend’s serious health problems was a type of bacteria called Vibrio vulnificus. This bacteria is often found in raw or undercooked fish and seafood. It can be very dangerous and even deadly.
The US Center for Disease Control (CDC) warns that you don’t have to eat contaminated food to get sick from this bacteria. Just touching the fish, its juices, or water with the bacteria can make you ill, especially if you have a cut, tattoo, or piercing that touches the contaminated stuff. Every year, CDC gets reports of about 150 to 200 Vibrio vulnificus infections, and about one in five people with this infection die, sometimes just a day or two after getting sick.
However, there is a different type of Vibrio bacteria that causes around 80,000 illnesses each year in the US. Most of these cases are less severe than the V. vulnificus strain.
These bacteria live in coastal waters, like saltwater and a mix of salt and freshwater. They like warm water, especially during the summer. Most infections happen in Gulf Coast states.
Messina is worried about her friend’s future and how she will recover from this illness. She’s also started a fundraiser to help pay for Barajas’s medical bills and support her as she adjusts to her new life.
Messina shared a message with everyone, saying, “We should be grateful for what we have right now because it can be taken away quickly and easily.”
